Mencken on teaching, enthusiasm and pedagogy a quote on teaching and enthusiasm. Mencken was born in baltimore, maryland in 1880 and died there in 1956. Its all in wilsons hands, mencken concludes after looking around at frisco. A contribution toward the interpretation of the national mind new york. In fact, the book was considered vitriolic enough that menckens close friend alfred knopf was concerned about publishing. But his opinion of the prewar south was quite different. When this book was issued, i remarked that we had reached a point when there were more books about mencken than books written by mencken himself. And a major theme of his writings was that every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under. For the book by alasdair gray see the book of prefaces. Read all poems of henry lewis mencken and infos about henry lewis mencken. Henry louis mencken 18801956 was an american journalist, editor, critic, and philologist. Mencken says alls set to put young william over if wilson gives the word. Mencken was perhaps americas most outspoken defender of liberty in the first half of the 20th century.
His satirical reporting on the scopes trial, which he dubbed the monkey tri al, also gained him attention. This study guide consists of approximately 32 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the vintage mencken. He spent thousands of dollars challenging restrictions on freedom of the press. No one in this world has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.
Joshis anthology of menckens work on religion is a terrifically entertaining read. Delaware county district library ohio scanned in china. The result is the most excruciatingly detailed mencken biography of them all. Menckens most popular book is a mencken chrestomathy. Such remarks are the enemy of real race realism, and fully deserve the environmentalist rebuttal which they are sure to receive. No 49 the american language by hl mencken 1919 this declaration of linguistic independence by the renowned us journalist and commentator marked a. Henry louis mencken was 76 years old when he died on 29th january 1956 ad. Now, fifty years after menckens death, the johns hopkins university press announces the buncombe collection, newly packaged editions of nine mencken classics. Mencken s most popular book is a mencken chrestomathy. While mencken didnt champion womens rights, he described women as wiser in many novel and observable ways, while demeaning average men. Henry louis mencken, 1880 1956 mencken is often cynical and shallow, but sometimes amusing or interesting. Knopf, 1920, also by george jean nathan gutenberg text and page images. The first american to be widely read as a critic was h. Menckens 1918 book on women and the relationship between the sexes.
Mencken was born to germanamerican parents august mencken, a cigar factory owner and anna abhau mencken. Henry louis, 18801956 online books about this author are available, as is a wikipedia article mencken, h. Mencken on teaching and enthusiasm, from scientific. Henry loui s menck en september 12, 1880 january 29, 1956 was an american journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic and scholar of american english. There is always a wellknown solution to every human problemneat, plausible and wrong. Mencken was less an introduction than a confrontation.
He is issuing these books through amazons createspace print and kindle ebook platforms. Mencken specified that it should never be published. Mencken, in full henry louis mencken, born september 12, 1880, baltimore, maryland, u. Henry lewis mencken poems, quotations and biography on henry lewis mencken poet page. In 1906 he joined the staff of the baltimore sun, thus beginning an association which lasted until a few years before his death. Essential readings for the nonbeliever, and a mencken chrestomathy, and more on. Free audio book that you can download in mp3, ipod and itunes format for your portable audio player. In 19 books and thousands of essays, his writings are a treasure of wisdom couched in a sparkling wit. There is always a wellknown solution to every human.
Some laud the book as progressive while others brand it as reactionary. Theres more to say about menckens views on the negro question and caste, but im splitting it. He began his long career as a journalist, critic, and philologist on the baltimore morning herald in 1899. During the first half of the 20th century, henry louis mencken was the most outspoken defender of liberty in america.
At the age of 16, he graduated from baltimore polytechnic institute. Mencken comes from an upperclass background in a wealthy portion of baltimore, maryland, in the late 19th. He was the eldest son of august mencken, a successful businessman who owned a tobacco business, and in whose footsteps the young boy was expected to follow. Henry lewis mencken henry lewis mencken poems poem hunter. Mencken is one of the most feared and revered critics of the 20th century. Joshi has begun issuing editions of menckens early newspaper and magazine work as part of a longrange project titled the collected essays and journalism of h. In the duel of sex woman fights from a dreadnought and man from an open raft. I first learned of the sage of baltimore during his cameo appearance in a great plains history course, at the university of nebraska. Henry louis mencken september 12, 1880 january 29, 1956 was a germanamerican journalist, satirist, cultural critic and scholar of american english. You never push a noun against a verb without trying to blow up something. Mencken attended a baltimore private school and the baltimore polytechnic.
Read about how his writing helped influence much of the popular, social, and political culture. The saying was included in a 1955 compilation titled speakers handbook of epigrams and witticisms by herbert v. With a style that combined biting sarcasm with the language of the free lunch counter, henry louis mencken shook politics and politicians for nearly half a century. He completed his primary education at professor knapps school. Mencken described the work as my most important book in its effects upon my professional career.
Mencken has 241 books on goodreads with 119065 ratings. Mencken became one of the most influential and prolific journalists in america in the 1920s and 30s, writing about all the shams and con artists in the world. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians and contemporary movements. Mencken room and collection is located at the central branch of the enoch pratt free library on cathederal street in baltimore. On being an american baltimore evening sunoctober 11, 1920 peasant and cockney.
Happy days, heathen days, newspaper days, prejudices. He attacked chiropractors and the ku klux klan, politicians and other journalists. Born in baltimore, mencken always considered himself a southerner and from his father he had inherited a strong sympathy for the. Writing books is certainly a most unpleasant occupation. There is always a wellknown solution to every human problemneat, plausible and. The fourth, fifth, and sixth series library of america by mencken, h. Henry louis mencken 18801956 was born into a germanamerican family in baltimore, maryland. Menckens 1917 collection of essays criticizing american culture, authors, and movements. Menckenborn september 12, 1880 baltimore, marylanddied january 29, 1956 baltimore, maryland writer and editor the united states is incomparably the greatest show on earth. Though he was not a distinguished stylist, the extraordinary vigor of his expression was memorable. Diaries, the one by samuel pepys being the exception, seldom make for marvelous reading, and this is probably the only dull thing mencken ever wrote. For better or worse, i am a child of the plains, and so my first experience with h.
Most of the books about mencken are of little worth. Mencken turned increasingly to writing books he had written eight on music. The mencken society promoting the living works of henry. Eight volumes will contain material from the smart set. Menckens criticisms were leveled at the south of the early 1900s, a region still recovering from the devastation of the war and reconstruction. Shortly after world war ii, mencken expressed his intention of bequeathing his books and papers to the pratt library.
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